ArtWay - Nicola Ravenscroft: The silent language of art

My latest interview for ArtWay is with the sculptor Nicola Ravenscroft and focuses on her bronze sculpture at the Royal Free Hospital which stands as a lasting tribute to the courage, compassion, and dedication of NHS staff:

'As a quiet peacemaker, a sculptor, a songwriter and a mother/grandmother, I seek out the universal languages that connect, and bring us together.

‍Agape – the pure, unconditional love a parent has for their child – is one of those languages. In their acts of self-sacrifice, the “peaceful warriors” of the NHS, and indeed all health workers across the world, were fighting for the lives of others.

Children represent the future. They have an innocent perspective that, if we allow it, can tenderly inform our adult vision.

Heaven belongs to little children: they are especially loved by God.'

For more on Nicola, click here for my Artlyst interview with Nicola, and here for an ArtWay Visual Meditation on her work. Click here for a poem published by Stride Magazine that was inspired by Nicola's series of 'in the language of angels' images. I have also written short stories about Nicola's mudcub sculptures (now called EarthAngels), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes.' The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King'. The third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'.

My other writing for ArtWay can be found at https://www.artway.eu/authors/jonathan-evens. This includes church reports, interviews, reviews and visual meditations.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication has entered an exciting new chapter in its story following the launch of a new website in September 2024.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead
to an exciting future for ArtWay.

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Raphael Ravenscroft - ...and a little child shall lead...

The Big Picture - A Return to Soul: Review of Aaron Rosen’s Spiritual Traces

The seventeenth issue of The Big Picture, from The Kirby Laing Centre, broaches the difficult topic of evangelicalism. Without sweeping aside the problems and weaknesses of the movement over its history, it has had an important role in revitalising world Christianity, and our world needs a healthy evangelicalism now more than ever. The contributors look at what has characterised the movement since its earliest days, what might be missing and what might have gone wrong. Several articles explore the role of evangelicalism in politics, others in intellectual pursuits such as education or research, and still others in ethics and mission. The editors hope that this issue offers some avenues for its renewal.

As usual, the content of the magazine is diverse, also featuring a conversation with Theophilus about the book of Acts, a study of an intriguing post-war sculpture from Charles Wheeler, a reflection on Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and more.

Paid subscribers can read all the articles on release and make comments; free subscribers will receive access to a handful of new articles each week. You can also get the beautifully designed print edition of TBP 17 (and several back issues) on Amazon.

This edition includes: ArtWay: A Return to Soul: Review of Aaron Rosen’s Spiritual Traces - Jonathan Evens. I review Aaron Rosen’s exploration of spirituality in contemporary art, especially in conversation with artists working at the intersection of creativity and faith. The review offers a thoughtful introduction to current conversations in art and religion while suggesting why beauty, contemplation and artistic practice remain important sources of meaning in a fragmented age. The review is available for free on 14 August.

The Big Picture 16 explored third places - the social spaces between home and work that are so influential in community life but increasingly under threat in our fragmented, digitised world - and included my interview with Francis Hoyland: 'ArtWay: Meeting Christ in Sundry Places. I interviewed painter Francis Hoyland about his decades of depicting Christ’s life, and the role that his Catholic faith plays in his art.

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Steve Scott - Not A Pretty Picture.

The Big Picture: Meeting Christ in Sundry Places

The Big Picture 16, from The Kirby Laing Centre, explores third places: the social spaces between home and work that are so influential in community life but increasingly under threat in our fragmented, digitised world. As usual, they have a diverse group of contributors who help us to think through how such places contribute to human flourishing, and the relationship of third places to public theology and Christian formation.

Issue 16 features articles about health clubs, coffee rooms and even cigar lounges as sites of encounter and missional opportunity, as well as considering how we might reconceive of churches as active third places that engage our wider community. They also feature articles about anime, art, film, philosophy, books and their Decalogue project.

The Big Picture regularly republishes articles previously published through ArtWay and, on this occasion, is re-publishing my interview with Francis Hoyland: 'ArtWay: Meeting Christ in Sundry Places — Jonathan Evens interviewing Francis Hoyland. Evens interviews painter Francis Hoyland about his decades of depicting Christ’s life, and the role that his Catholic faith plays in his art.'

By Friday, you will be able to order full-colour hard copies on Amazon, and Substack readers will get access to the whole magazine (paid subscribers) or the first batch of articles (free subscribers). You can read the contents page with descriptions here.

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Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis.

ArtWay - The things we carry – A collaborative exhibition by Neil Tye

In my latest interview for ArtWay I talk with artist Neil Tye and his collaborators Randall Flinn and Bill Wade:

'For the last 25 years Neil Tye has been working as a physical visual theatre performer, instructor, teacher, and installation artist, and has taken his performances and teaching skills around the world ...

Tye has worked with Ad Deum, a professional modern/contemporary dance company based in Houston, Texas, directed by its founder Randall Flinn, who established the company in January 2000. The mission of Ad Deum is to create and perform excellent and vital works of dance that serve to wash over the heart and soul of humanity with relevant meaning and redemptive hope.

At Flinn’s invitation Bill Wade also became involved in a collaborative dance performance at the opening of Tye’s exhibition in Houston. Wade founded Inlet Dance Theatre in 2001 and the company embodies his belief that dance viewing, training and performing experiences may serve as tools to bring about personal growth and development. Inlet’s ensemble-based culture intentionally focuses on craftsmanship and mastery while employing a collaborative creative process in the development of new work. All of Inlet’s repertory speaks creatively about human life issues and does so in a life-giving manner. The company presents a wide aesthetic range of works that speak to what could be, rather than only what is.

I spoke to all three about their collaboration and Tye’s work.'

For more on Neil Tye click here.

My other writing for ArtWay can be found at https://www.artway.eu/authors/jonathan-evens. This includes church reports, interviews, reviews and visual meditations.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication has entered an exciting new chapter in its story following the launch of a new website in September 2024.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead

  to an exciting future for ArtWay.

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Ad Deum Dance Company - Be Still My Soul.

ArtWay: "Hands Touching Hands" – Jonathan Evens reflects on ‘Touching the Void’ by Alexander de Cadenet

"Hands Touching Hands" is my latest article for ArtWay which reflects on ‘Touching the Void’ by Alexander de Cadenet.

I have been collaborating recently with de Cadenet, a visual artist who has been exhibiting his artworks internationally for the past twenty years. His work reveals an exploration into philosophical and spiritual questions such as the meaning of life and death, the nature of human achievement and the sacredness of art itself. He has said that “Art is way of exploring what gives life a deeper meaning and evolves in relation to my own life journey.”

'Touching the Void', the installation on which we have been collaborating, is an installation de Cadenet has created in response to the death of his father. Its central image is of father and son reaching towards each other created using actual X-rays of each other's hands. The work explores the extent to which contact one with the other continues following death.

For more on Alexander de Cadenet see my Artlyst interview, a conference report, a visual meditation for ArtWay, and three exhibition previews here, here and here.

My other writing for ArtWay can be found at https://www.artway.eu/authors/jonathan-evens. This includes church reports, interviews, reviews and visual meditations.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication has entered an exciting new chapter in its story following the launch of a new website in September 2024.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

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Bob Dylan - Man In The Long Black Cloak.

ArtWay: Painting the Life of Christ – an interview with Francis Hoyland

My latest interview for ArtWay is with Francis Hoyland, whose work was recently exhibited at Chappel Galleries.

'I had the experience of rethinking my whole language of painting as a result of a travelling scholarship to Italy. I had been trained in the Euston Road approach to painting, which I came to find limiting, and the Italian paintings I saw enabled me to find a way of painting from imagination. I realised, too, that it is not good to be absolutely cut and dried about technique.'

'I was teetering on the edge of faith when I went to Italy on a travelling scholarship – I had my 21st birthday in Assisi – and rethought my whole language of painting as a result of that trip.'

For more on Francis Hoyland see my Church Times review of his recent exhibition at Chappel Galleries here. 

My other writing for ArtWay can be found at https://www.artway.eu/authors/jonathan-evens. This includes church reports, interviews, reviews and visual meditations.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication has entered an exciting new chapter in its story following the launch of a new website in September 2024.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

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David Ackles - Family Band.

ArtWay - “Giving identity to forms” – an interview with Márta Jakobovits

My latest interview for ArtWay is with ceramic artist Márta Jakobovits:

"I gravitate toward deep, intuitive approaches that bring visual and mental peace. I believe everyone’s life is a pilgrimage, a journey full of ups and downs. Artists have the ability to translate that journey, making it visible, audible, or readable, depending on their medium."

For more on Márta Jakobovits see here and here. A solo exhibition by Márta Jakobovits, in collaboration with Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, is at The Liszt Institute (17-19 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5BL) from 2 May - 30 May 2025.

My other writing for ArtWay can be found at https://www.artway.eu/authors/jonathan-evens. This includes church reports, interviews, reviews and visual meditations.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication has entered an exciting new chapter in its story following the launch of a new website in September 2024.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

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Amazing Blondel - Benedictus Es Domine.

Paul Chandler and Brian Whelan - WHITE ROBE: An exhibition celebrating the life of Rev. Dr John Roberts among Native Americans

My latest interview for ArtWay is with Paul Chandler of Caravan and artist Brian Whelan about WHITE ROBE: An exhibition celebrating the life of Rev. Dr John Roberts among Native Americans:

'Chandler thinks “that artists can lead the way today” and “are more needed than ever”: “Artists provide new pathways of understanding that transcend borders and how we see the ‘other’. Brian Whelan is a brilliant example of someone whose creative gift does this. His focus on the lives of remarkable individuals of faith, whether it be Rev. John Roberts or someone else, enables people to be captivated by their stories, which is one of the most effective means of communicating.”'

See here to read my Artlyst interview with Paul Chandler.

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication is entering an exciting new chapter in its story with the launch of a new website in September.

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands.

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

Back in 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself. I have written frequently for the site with a recent piece being an interview with British artist Hannah Rose Thomas, who is also an author, human rights activist and a UNESCO PhD Scholar at the University of Glasgow.

My visual meditations for ArtWay include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Jake Flood, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, Gwen John, Lakwena Maciver, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Sidney Nolan, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Nicola Ravenscroft, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton, Anna Sikorska, Alan Stewart, Jan Toorop, Andrew Vessey, Edmund de Waal and Sane Wadu.

My Church of the Month reports include: All Saints Parish Church, Tudeley, Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, St Michael and All Angels Berwick and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.

Blogs for ArtWay include: Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions; Ervin Bossanyi: A vision for unity and harmony; Georges Rouault and André Girard: Crucifixion and Resurrection, Penitence and Life Anew; Photographing Religious Practice; Spirituality and/in Modern Art; and The Spirituality of the Artist-Clown.

Interviews for ArtWay include: Matthew Askey, Sophie Hacker, Peter Koenig, David Miller, Belinda Scarlett and Hannah Rose Thomas.

I have also reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals for ArtWay.

Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here.

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Michael Kiwanuka - One And Only.

ArtWay.eu: A Powerful Resource for Faith and the Arts

ArtWay.eu has been hailed "a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts," and having come under the custodianship of the Kirby Laing Centre, the much-loved publication is entering an exciting new chapter in its story with the launch of a new website in September. 

Since its founding, ArtWay has published a rich library of materials and resources for scholars, artists, art enthusiasts and congregations concerned about linking art and faith. Founded by Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker in 2009, ArtWay's significance is reflected in its designation as UNESCO digital heritage material in the Netherlands. 

In the video above, the ArtWay team recounts the history of this much-loved resource and looks ahead to an exciting future for ArtWay.

Back in 2018, I interviewed ArtWay founder Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker for Artlyst on the legacy of ArtWay itself. I have written frequently for the site with my most recent piece being an interview with British artist Hannah Rose Thomas, who is also an author, human rights activist and a UNESCO PhD Scholar at the University of Glasgow. 

My visual meditations for ArtWay include work by María Inés Aguirre, Giampaolo Babetto, Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Alexander de Cadenet, Christopher Clack, Marlene Dumas, Terry Ffyffe, Jake Flood, Antoni Gaudi, Nicola Green, Maciej Hoffman, Gwen John, Lakwena Maciver, S. Billie Mandle, Giacomo Manzù, Sidney Nolan, Michael Pendry, Maurice Novarina, Regan O'Callaghan, Ana Maria Pacheco, John Piper, Nicola Ravenscroft, Albert Servaes, Henry Shelton, Anna Sikorska, Alan Stewart, Jan Toorop, Andrew Vessey, Edmund de Waal and Sane Wadu.

My Church of the Month reports include: All Saints Parish Church, Tudeley, Aylesford Priory, Canterbury Cathedral, Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Hem, Chelmsford Cathedral, Churches in Little Walsingham, Coventry Cathedral, Église de Saint-Paul à Grange-Canal, Eton College Chapel, Lumen, Metz Cathedral, Notre Dame du Léman, Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce, Plateau d’Assy,Romont, Sint Martinuskerk Latem, St Aidan of Lindisfarne, St Alban Romford, St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church, St. Margaret’s Church, Ditchling, and Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, St Mary the Virgin, Downe, St Michael and All Angels Berwick and St Paul Goodmayes, as well as earlier reports of visits to sites associated with Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Antoni Gaudi and Henri Matisse.

Blogs for ArtWay include: Congruity and controversy: exploring issues for contemporary commissions; Ervin Bossanyi: A vision for unity and harmony; Georges Rouault and André Girard: Crucifixion and Resurrection, Penitence and Life Anew; Photographing Religious Practice; Spirituality and/in Modern Art; and The Spirituality of the Artist-Clown.

Interviews for ArtWay include: Matthew Askey, Sophie Hacker, Peter Koenig, David Miller, Belinda Scarlett and Hannah Rose Thomas. 

I have also reviewed: Art and the Church: A Fractious Embrace, Kempe: The Life, Art and Legacy of Charles Eamer Kempe and Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals for ArtWay.

Other of my writings for ArtWay can be found here.

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Otto Bam - The Gift.